


in the absence of everything (i promise to keep you warm)

by dryadfiona



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Unrequited Crush, like. this is chloe pining after max in episode 3. basically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 01:59:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18681823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dryadfiona/pseuds/dryadfiona
Summary: The weirdest thing going on this week is that your best friend has time powers. The second weirdest thing going on this week is that your crush from five years ago is back and harder to ignore than ever.





	in the absence of everything (i promise to keep you warm)

**Author's Note:**

> i know it's 2019 but sometimes you just gotta still care about lis a lot, yknow? also my computer won't let me play Tomb Raider (2013) so my hands really are tied. also i have approximate knowledge of the exact dialogue but it is 5:38am as i type this and my brain is only like half-working. have fun  
> brief mention of kate's attempted suicide, but there's no detail

"I'm sorry, I'm just not sure about a movie night right now...don't hate me."

You glance over towards Max for just a second before remembering that you are actively breaking and entering right now, and should probably pay attention. Still, there's a not-insignificant part of you that's ignoring the tools in your hands entirely, listening to your best friend reject(?) this guy Warren.

Warren. You haven't met the kid, but you don't like him. As if he's good enough for Max.

Max runs off to go do--something. You're still not exactly sure what, but suddenly it's  _very_ important that your plan works instead.

Naturally, Max opens the door not two minutes later. You'd be upset, but her shy, smug grin wins you over.

"You are amazing! I don't know how you got in there, but you did it, sista."

Max laughs, quieter than Rachel ever did, but your heart stops just the same. 

_Oh. Oh, shit._

-

So, there's that. You have a crush on Max Caulfield. Again. You realized you had liked Max for most of your childhood once you realized you were gay, and boy, was that a fun reason to get stoned out of your mind.

(Rachel laughed at you, saying how she thought Pris was your gay awakening. Your memories of that night are weird and dream-like at best, but you're pretty sure your response to that was to just fall facedown on the floor and groan.)

She's in the pool right beside you, and she's still the same girl you had your first sip of wine with, but she's so fucking different, too. _Yeah, you're one to talk, what with the tattoos and the hair and the nearly insurmountable debt._ There's something in her eyes that's just as unfamiliar as the rest of this is natural.

Maybe it's time powers, maybe it's just time. It's...kinda captivating. (You hate that you're using the word  _captivating_ in your own goddamn internal monologue.)

"Gross! I don't want any Blackwell bros near me."

You laugh, doing your very best to ignore how warm your face is.

-

Sneaking back into your house is something you're honestly really good at by now. You and Rachel had it down to an art, jumping over the step that creaks, saving the whispers for after passing your mom's room, collapsing onto your bed and getting comfy in seconds. But with Max, it feels like the two of you are thirteen again, sneaking back after a trip to the 7/11 a couple blocks away. The most illicit thing you'd done was shoplift a candy bar worth less than 2 dollars because you'd dared her to, but you'd felt certain that if you got caught it would be a disaster.

The two of you are giggling as you head back up to your room, and the second the door closes behind you, you whisper, "Didn't get caught! Just like old times, huh?"

Max looks confused, her bangs hanging in her face a little oddly because of the pool water. "What do you mean?"

You deflate a bit. "Uh, do you remember that night where I dared you to shoplift--"

"Oh! Yeah! We did get caught, though, did I never tell you?"

You shake your head, heading over to the closet to grab a shirt that doesn't stink like chlorine. "What happened?"

"So, I woke up before you and went down to grab some food, and William was there making pancakes." Max pauses for a second. Your back is to her, but you can just picture the way she probably froze when she realized her story was about your dad, of all people.

"Yeah?"

"...uh, so he gave me some food and asked me 'how late were you kids up?' and I'm pretty sure I said some super obvious lie, because, you know."

You laugh, having finally found some old T-shirts that'll work in your closet, and turn around to see Max shrugging off her clothes again. You don't immediately whip back around, though it's close. You do look away, handing her one of the shirts so that you can pay attention to what she's saying and not the knot in your stomach.

"You're not the greatest liar, yeah," you say after a beat too long.

Max, bless her, doesn't notice, shrugging the shirt on and continuing. "I remember we were just eating in silence for a minute, and he said 'can I give you some advice, Max?' and then I was sure that we were like, going to get in so much trouble that our lives would be ruined."

"What did you say?"

"I think I just squeaked." She sounds embarrassed, even six years later. "But, uh, he took it as a yes, so he said, 'if you're going to sneak out, you shouldn't leave the receipt in the hallway'."

"That's where it went! Man, I figured we'd just lost it outside."

"Apparently not!"

"Why didn't we go out more? If he was cool with it?" Normally talking about your dad makes you nauseous and/or makes you want to break the person talking's nose. But talking about him with Max feels...if not  _normal,_ at least easier.

"He wasn't. He talked to me about safety and how young we were and about how  _disappointed_ he was. It was devastating."

You can almost picture his face telling Max about all this. It hurts, but duller than it normally does. "It's...weird."

"What?"

You fall down on your bed, and Max sits down next to you. This feels easy, too, if not normal. "Hearing stuff about him I don't already know. Like...I don't know. It's weird."

Max nods but doesn't say anything.

After a beat, you ask, "So, uh. How are you?"

She turns to look at you, eyes shining from what little moonlight shines through the window. "Uh. Why?"

"Your friend, uh, almost..."

"Killed herself." Max lies back down beside you. "She almost died."

"Are you okay?"

You're not used to this kind of conversation. If you ever tried to ask Rachel how she was, she'd always brush it off or make a joke or flirt with you, because she knew that would derail that train of thought faster than anything. And it's not like you have anyone else. You're a little worried you're gonna fuck it up or that you already have.

"I...think so," Max says, quiet and hesitant. "I mean. I got her to come down." There's a note of wonder in her voice, and as you turn to look at her, she's staring right back at you.

"Uh."

"I didn't have my powers," Max says. She said that earlier, but it still feels heavy. "I couldn't rewind at all. I was so scared I was going to say something wrong."

"You didn't."

"I didn't," your best friend says. "But...I could have."

"But you didn't." You prop yourself up on your elbow so you can get a better look at her. "I know I've been calling you Super-Max, but you're still Max Caulfield. You're a good person. She was always gonna come down with you."

Max rolls a bit so her face is in the pillow. You're sure she's blushing. "I think you should meet her. Sometime soon."

"I know her, actually. She's cool."

The conversation shifts to Kate and Blackwell and photography and Chloe and Rachel's misadventures, and you fall asleep feeling happier than you have in years.

-

"For example, I dare you to kiss me!"

"What?" Max's eyes widen and her mouth falls open a bit. She looks as surprised as you feel.  _Come on, idiot, you've given yourself away. She's interested in that Warren guy, but it's not like you had a chance otherwise._

Still, you've come this far. "I double dare you! Kiss me now!"

You expect her to laugh it off, maybe kiss your cheek, but she puts her hand on your face, goes up on her tiptoes, and fucking  _goes for it._ It only lasts a second before you realize you're about to combust and step back. You know you sound giddy, which is embarrassing, but holy shit she  _kissed_ you you kissed  _Max_ Max  _kissed_ you. Holy shit. God.

She says something, probably, but you're too focused on the way your mouth is just that much warmer. You fall back against your bed, fully prepared to pine for the rest of your life.

You see her press a hand to her mouth and smile, small and disbelieving and genuine.

So, uh. That's a thing.


End file.
